A Million Dreams
by Nukas
Summary: From my old Oneshot Collection Book "Brotherly Basics". A oneshot about Mikey and Don's close relationship and their life stories together. Human!AU/Past!AU. Songfic.


Just a mini song fic about human Don... Kinda weird. It's Human AU and it's not from any story or anything specific. The AU is also set in the mid 90's.

Yes, it's a 'Million Dreams' from The Greatest Showman... Leave me alone okay? It was a good movie (Lol, made me get teary eyed)

Also, this is not Don x Mike. (Sorry for those who like it!)

Simply a strong friendship and how Mike will always believe in his friend and vice versa. Don wants to be an inventor and Mike wants to be an artist/illustrator. Both aren't believed in but are willing to believe in each other, no matter how little money they make it's their dreams and they won't change that dream just because it doesn't reward a luxurious lifestyle. (Seems weird, just see if you like it or not lol) I always feel these two are always the underdogs :)

Made on a whim! Excuse any historical inaccuracies.

 **A Million Dreams**

 **Human TMNT 2k12 – Don and Mike**

 _ **I close my eyes and I can see**_

 _ **The world that's waiting up for me**_

 _ **That I call my own**_

Don sighed as he flopped down on his cheap bed, squeezing his eyes shut. The frame wobbled slightly, and he felt his eyes water. Tears slipped past his defenses.

How could his parents say that? Plenty of inventors made money... they just had to bide their time. Why would anyone want to be a doctor or a scientist in such a controlled, locked away environment? He had originally wanted to be a scientist, but once he realized he'd be working for someone, he changed paths.

He wanted to be independent, do his _own_ thing. He loved inventing.

Why couldn't his parents see that? Bad enough the kids at school teased him for his dream, but now his parents?

He was 12, but he was smarter than most. He knew his parents only wanted what was best for him, what was stable for him, financially. But it hurt that they didn't have enough trust in him and his choices.

But he met someone 2 weeks ago... He didn't judge him or laugh at him or give him a weird look. He didn't even go on about how he was wasting his brain doing this instead of attending more normal things.

He just smiled and said that it was cool. _Cool_.

 _ **Through the dark, through the door**_

 _ **Through where no one's been before**_

 _ **But it feels like home**_

Don had this smile on his face whenever he had invented, he felt himself beaming when he got the blueprints down, his heart jumped when his invention worked. He couldn't deny it; he _lived_ to invent. Not to just innovate this world, but to create some of it. The _create_ some of the future.

He _wanted_ to be a part of that.

He wanted to be apart of the history books at school for future kids his age; no scratch that.

He wanted to _be_ history.

He didn't want to be normal if this was what normal was.

 _ **They can say, they can say it all sounds crazy**_

 _ **They can say, they can say I've lost my mind**_

 _ **I don't care, I don't care, so call me crazy**_

 _ **We can live in a world that we design**_

Don frowned as he pushed the food on his tray around. He didn't feel like eating.

Who could when the kids in the cafeteria were either excluding you or gossiping about you?

Just then, he felt someone sit down next to him, the bench going down slightly.

"Hey! Can I sit here?" The same short, blonde hair, blue eyed boy he met 2 weeks ago.

"S-sur-e." He stammered, surprised. He pushed back some of his brown hair and readjusted his black rimmed glasses which showed off his hazel eyes. He was looking down at him, even though he was sitting right next to him. The kid was considerably shorter than him.

He was tall for his age though, just lanky.

"I-I never c-caught your na-name..." Don tried to ask, he wasn't very used to communication with others his age.

"Oh! I'm Michael! But you can call me Mike or Mikey! I like Mikey more though! It makes me sound nice, Mike makes me sound like some big tough guy!" The smiled, showing his teeth and the food caught in between.

"... I'm Don." He spoke, smiling a lopsided smile.

 _ **'Cause every night I lie in bed**_

 _ **The brightest colors fill my head**_

 _ **A million dreams are keeping me awake**_

Don's eyebrows were knit with concentration, sweat dripping down his brow, some of it blurry his vision.

He was finishing one of his latest inventions, in almost complete darkness of course, so his parents thought he was asleep. He had a small light attached to the side of his glasses (he made it himself, something the 15 year old was proud of), but that was about all.

He was getting sleepy but he had to finish it. He had to get into that university.

He had to prove everyone wrong.

He had to do this.

He was going to do this.

And he'd do it tonight.

 _ **I think of what the world could be**_

 _ **A vision of the one I see**_

 _ **A million dreams is all it's gonna take**_

 _ **A million dreams for the world we're gonna make**_

Mikey continued to draw the villain in his book. It was a bit more realistic than what he normally did, considering he normally stuck to comics and animation. But he was feeling angry lately, leading to more adult ideas. This guy was a mob leader, with a trench coat and glasses and everything.

He could hear his parents yelling downstairs. Debating.

About what they should do with _him_. Like something was _defective_.

Why did everyone laugh at him?

Why?

He loved children, he loved comics and he loved drawing and writing.

He'd make adult, children, and teen age appropriate stuff. He'd make classics! He'd fundraise for charities and such, to raise money for kids that ended up like his big brother, the kids with cancer or were ill with other things. He'd make his brother smile, fulfilling his promise of following his heart.

That was his dream anyways.

He knew no one would understand. He had to prove them wrong. He needed a good story to get out there and even better art to go with it. He needed to show his parents, his classmates and teachers; everyone.

He needed to start a spark and let it catch fire from there. He had to make a mark.

For Leo.

 _ **There's a house we can build**_

 _ **Every room inside is filled**_

 _ **With things from far away**_

Mikey painted the lines of his picture perfectly, complete concentration was rare from him, but right now he was dead serious. It was his, but not exactly.

He had drawn the sketch with his older brother in the hospital... when he was getting weaker.

But he had vouched to his dying brother to finish it.

And now he was. This painting was important to him. More important than anything else.

He spent day and night painting it. It was almost finished.

For so many years he had been painting it. He was 22 now. He had been painting it since he was 16.

The painting was of a brilliant gold dragon, curled up around a broken piece of knight's armor, like it was sleepy and wanted to cuddle with it, but some part of the dragon's eyes were sad, like it didn't want to see the knight lose it's armor.

Mikey and his brother had only got as far as drawing the outline of a dragon. Mikey was making the rest as he went.

 _ **The special things I compile**_

 _ **Each one there to make you smile**_

 _ **On a rainy day**_

The message of the artwork was known in Mikey's heart since he lost his brother at 9.

The knight's missing armor piece was a representation of someone having a missing part of themselves, feeling broken.

The dragon represented hope in Mikey's eyes. Or some kind of guardian angel. That's how Mikey felt about his brother. No matter what problems or illness Leo had, his first and only priority was Mikey. And now that he was gone, Mikey felt his brother watching him, his brother's view of hope and perseverance through his illness pushing Mikey to continue through life.

In the background of the painting was a bright tunnel to exit the dark and scary cave the dragon and armor piece lied in.

Mikey had come up with this concept at 9, but now he was executing it. He didn't want to change it, even though he had some changes he would like to make.

Thinking to himself, Mikey listened to the rain pattering in the background.

 _ **They can say, they can say it all sounds crazy**_

 _ **They can say, they can say we've lost our minds**_

 _ **I don't care, I don't care if they call us crazy**_

 _ **Runaway to a world that we design**_

"Hey!" Don laughed as Mikey snatched one of his screwdrivers.

"C'mon, c'mon, let me screw it in! Please?" Mikey begged playfully.

Don rolled his eyes but was unable to wipe the smirk off of his face. "22 years old and begging to screw in a screw. Unbelievable." He snorted in good nature.

"Yup, anything to help you impress the big guys!" Mikey smiled the same pearly white smile he had back when they were 12, he even had some pieces of pizza in between them.

Some things never change.

Don shook his head, remembering that day, before he frowned, and his mood crashed slightly.

"W-what if this doesn't do it? Wh-what if I prove everyone _right_?" Don spoke, his stammer and lisp were gone from when he was a kid, but it still came back every once in a while.

" _Never_ gonna happen bro! Plus, even if you _did_ manage to not get this, you still gotta try again. Who cares if you get this wrong? Do you _know_ how many people, famous people might I add, make mistakes in history? Especially genius people, isn't your guys' thing, like, your fucking slogan, trial and error?" Mikey smiled softly when he saw his friend sigh and put take the screwdriver from him, which he was holding out with a smirk.

"How do you _always_ know what to say?" Don asked, putting the screwdriver back in his tool box and continuing to work on his device.

"It's pure instinct, my main brain." He smiled, sitting himself on the work desk, making Don dead pan.

" _How_ many times have I told you to _not_ sit up there? And helping to screw in _one screw_ doesn't mean you helped me with the entire project." He flatly looked at his mischievous friend, whom he considered a brother after all these years, and then smiled softly himself.

 _ **Every night I lie in bed**_

 _ **The brightest colors fill my head**_

 _ **A million dreams are keeping me awake**_

Mikey, now 24, cleared his throat and began practicing his speech in the mirror.

' _Whew, is it getting hot in here or what?_ ' he thought nervously. He looked over himself. The freckles from when he was a child had faded over time and were basically gone now, his blue eyes were looking more and more like his older brother's, and his hair was getting longer and longer.

He had to present his artwork.

To these kids.

To the world.

Would his brother approve?

"Hey, Mikester. How's it going? Nervous?" He heard a lightly teasing voice from the entrance of the bathroom.

Whipping around, almost having a heart attack from the jump scare, Mikey relaxed instantly once he realized it was only Don.

"Jeez Don, don't scare me like that." He frowned, placing a hand on his heart.

"Sorry Mike, didn't mean to. You okay?" Don asked, now concerned. He came towards his friend, noticing the height difference was still there. Don, almost 6'4 now, towered over Mikey, whom was currently (and probably always going to be) 5'7.

"I-I'm going to be honest Donny. I'm _terrified_. What if Leo never wanted this work to be shown? What if- what if this _isn't_ what he wanted?" Mikey asked, his eyes becoming tear-filled now. Don knew about his brother and what happened, so Mikey was no longer afraid to cry for nor talk about Leo around Don.

"Hey," He tapped his friend's shoulder before resting a hand on his other, "You got this. Those kids need you, just like Leo needs you to show this. Everyone needs to see it Mikey, this masterpiece of yours has been hidden for too long." Don confirmed. Mikey steeled himself for what he was about to do.

"You're right. It's time those kids got some hope. Maybe they'll ask for a copy to put up around the hospital?"

Don laughed, knowing his close friend was hoping that they'd want a copy. Not for publicity, but to remind the kids and himself what art was about.

"Maybe Mikey, just maybe. I'll start making some now." He joked but left his friend to prepare himself.

' _I have no doubt little brother._ '

 _ **I think of what the world could be**_

 _ **A vision of the one I see**_

Don straightened his tie as he watched the streets go by.

"Seriously? Don't be nervous. You got this. Who could be nerdier than you?"

"Of course, I do and ha ha." Don said to his older brother, Raph. Raph rolled his eyes as he kept focus on the road. He had similar brown hair to Don, but his eyes were completely his own. Raph's eyes were a dark green but used to be almost neon like when they were kids.

Raph tugged Don's ponytail before saying, "Now get the hell outta my car, jackass." Don smirked at his brother's way of saying 'Go get 'em'.

As he began to get himself up the front stairs, he used his brother's 'motivating words' to move him.

The place was filled with so many fancy people...

Don was poor. He didn't belong here.

' _Stop thinking like that... Make Raph and Mikey proud. Prove Mom and Dad and your peers wrong. You got this._ '

Don took a deep breath, prepped himself, and stepped inside. He wasn't going to be shy and antisocial anymore, not like he has always been. No more keeping his head down.

Today he would make history, he was sure of it.

 _ **A million dreams is all it's gonna take**_

 _ **A million dreams for the world we're gonna make**_

Mikey breathed through his nose, getting ready to leave the taxi cab.

He had to make Leo proud.

After others took notice of his work, he found himself getting ready to sell one of his best works to a galleria.

A professional galleria.

How was he going to do this?

As he left the taxi, he remembered his big brother.

' _Leo wouldn't want you to give up. Neither would Don. He's making it big tonight, so you gotta be with him. If he can do it, you can too. C'mon Mikester, you've got this. Show them what you got._ '

As Mikey came to the door, he took one big gasp of air before opening the door confidently. He had to make a good impression. Today, it couldn't be saved. If he messed up, there was no saving it.

Today he would make his mark. He would ignite his fire.

 _ **However big, however small**_

 _ **Let me be part of it all**_

 _ **Share your dreams with me**_

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I can't pay the bills! Okay?! The-they never took my painting. I messed up alright!" Mikey rarely ever raised his voice, let alone snap.

Don frowned, hating to see his best friend so in debt. He thought about it for a couple of minutes.

"Well... how about I move in with you? Our pay combined will definitely be enough to cover the bills and any other expenses. Pl-"

"Don... I can't ask you to do that bro. It's my own problems." Mikey sighed, his voice carrying much more stress than Don expected it to hold in his whole lifetime.

"So? You've helped me every time I needed you. You're the only reason they were impressed with my invention last week!"

Mikey laughed sourly, "Bro, all I did was screw in a screw."

"Yeah, but you also made me more confident. Which is what sold everything. Hook, line, _sinker_." Don smiled, making Mikey give a small smile back as he considered.

The two young men hugged tightly, Mikey more than grateful for his best friend.

 _ **You may be right, you may be wrong**_

 _ **But say that you'll bring me along**_

 _ **To the world you see**_

Don slung an arm around Mikey's shoulders, both smiling at the painting that hung in the memorial hospital. They were 30 years old, Don already had a wife while Mikey had a girlfriend.

"I can't believe you're having your first kid Don... I feel so old now!" Mikey laughed. Don shook his head and mock sighed.

"You think you feel old..."

The two laughed, Mikey doing anything to keep the pre-parental stress off Don. While they waited to receive the news, they viewed the painting (which Mikey had specifically wanted in both the children's hospital for the ill and the labor room hallways) with nostalgia.

"I'm so gonna be the coolest Uncle ever. Tell Raph I said that, will ya?" Mikey smirked evilly. Don laughed, knowing the two would be competing for that title no doubt.

"Sure Mikey." Just then, they heard a nurse call for them. Mikey smiled to Don, waving him off to see the baby.

"I'll let you have your Daddy time, since I'm betting Tal wants some rest. Go on, don't worry, I'll be stealing all the kid's attention soon. Just wait." He smirked, before walking down the hall murmuring something about vending machines and how hospitals better have some good junk food.

Don just smiled, completely ecstatic, as he went to see his newborn baby boy.

 _ **To the world I close my eyes to see**_

 _ **I close my eyes to see**_

"Hey... Don." Mikey tried his best to smile, but his own tears were getting in the way.

Don didn't look up from the grass.

Mikey frowned deeply, forgetting his smile act, and sat down next to his friend.

Realizing that Don didn't want to hear condolences, he just wrapped his arms around his friend.

He didn't say a word as his closest friend cried into his shoulder or as he sobbed out words.

It was just Don and Mike again.

No newborn baby to care for, no wife to hug, no uncles were made or mothers or fathers.

Both were dead.

 _ **Every night I lie in bed**_

 _ **The brightest colors fill my head**_

Mikey sighed, coming home from the newest showcase of his. After talking to all those people, he found himself tired out.

And he was a social butterfly.

Frowning, Mikey was unable to keep his smile up any longer. He was having a harder time keeping his hope.

But Mikey was used to death, so why couldn't he get used to this one?

After Don lost his wife and his baby, Mikey lost someone of his own.

As if their deaths didn't screw him in the head enough already, he had to deal with more death.

His mom and dad were now dead, after a car crash.

On top of that, today was the day Leo had passed.

Mikey found himself driving to the place where his big brother was buried, tears streaming down his face.

After rushing out and nearly falling onto the grass in front of his big brother's stone, he hugged the stone. He had never done this before, but hugging this stone made it feel like he was hugging his brother.

He needed his strength and hope, so let himself hold the cold stone for as long as he felt he needed to.

He didn't realize how long he had stayed there until he felt himself being awakened.

 _ **A million dreams are keeping me awake**_

 _ **A million dreams, a million dreams**_

"H-hi Don..." Mikey yawned, stretching and feeling the ache all over. How long had he been asleep?  
"Hey... You're lucky I knew where to find you idiot. You could've gotten sick or developed hypothermia. It's about to rain." Don's face held concern and the 32-year-old couldn't help the need to lecture his friend.

"Oh." Mikey didn't seem to care, which only angered Don. How could he not care about his _own_ _fucking_ life?

"Oh? _Oh_? Mikey, don't you _understand_? You're the last family I have left, except for Raph. You can't just risk your life and go 'Oh!', do you understand!?" Don's eyes filled with tears as his anger began fading into sadness. His glasses were getting fogging from his heavy breathing. He hadn't breathed the entire time he spoke.

Mikey felt horrible so sighed and looked up at Don, who nearly got swallowed by guilt. He hadn't thought Mikey would be so devasted by his parents' death. They ignored him once he pursued his passion for art and refused to run the family office. Kicked him out and forgot about him at 16. How could Mikey care?

Then it occurred to Don that Mikey cared because that was his _family_. Like how he had been attached to his son the minute he was born, yet had so limited time with him on Earth. He hadn't gotten over that for so long. Only recently was he getting back to _moving_ around the _house_ , let _alone_ working or doing things on his own. He was just lucky he lived with Mikey.

And for the past two years he had been making Mikey get up and move and do all these things for _him_.

When Mikey's girlfriend broke up with him, the one he had planned to marry, Mikey still functioned. Mikey _forced_ himself to function. Forced himself to move on and get on with it. His parents had been dead for a whole month and yet, Mikey still went to work.

On the same day both his parents and brother died.

Don got down to the ground, kneeling, and hugged his best friend so close, it almost hurt.

Neither minded.

 _ **I think of what the world could be**_

 _ **A vision of the one I see**_

Don smiled as Mikey clapped his back, "Look who's back! I've been waiting for my original roommate to return!" He cheered. At 35 years old, Mikey still had the spirit of a teenager.

Sheepishly, Don rubbed the back of head, "Okay, okay. Look, about that... Sorry for being an ass while you slaved..." Don sighed as he turned the vaporizer he had made around in his hands, it seemed to steal his interest.

"I didn't mind, it kept my head offa stuff. Plus, you needed time. You probably still do, but I'm glad you're getting back into the swing of things." He smiled, understanding the grieving process.

Don didn't know how he did it.

"What's that thing anyway?"

Don chuckled lightly as he gently shoved his best friend in the shoulder. "It's a water vaporizer. It turns water directly into steam by raising to high temperatures in seconds. I'm working on a feature where it can condense fresh steam into water... Don't know what good it'll do, but I just wanted to play. Thought it was neat." He hummed.

Mikey smiled, "Seems kinda crazy. I like it..." He trailed off before speaking again, a hint of fond memories in his voice and a sparkle of playfulness in his eyes.

"Any screws that need to be tightened?"

 _ **A million dreams is all it's gonna take**_

Mikey beamed ear to ear as he made his way to the Children's Hospital. He was going to talk to one of the kid's there who admired his artwork in the hall. The hospital staff contacted him, asking him if he'd come by to meet the kid. Mikey immediately agreed of course. Apparently, this kid wanted to be an artist too.

And he was going to meet one.

After this meeting, Mikey would have another showcase before going to an afterparty.

But it wasn't about the fancy glasses of champagne or the posh society of artists. No, Mikey came wearing everyday clothing, like a normal human being.

It wasn't about the popularity or the fame.

It was about those kids, his brother, and himself.

"What do you call it Hope?"

Mikey smiled at the young girl named Clementine. He pointed at the golden dragon, "See this dragon? It's meant to represent a guardian angel. Hope. And this armor piece is?" He knew this little girl was smart, she might've been only 10, but Mikey knew she saw it.

"It's the sadness. The despair."

"Right on." He smiled his trademark smile, at 37 he still had it. The girl smiled right with him.

That's all he wanted.

 _ **A million dreams for the world we're gonna make**_

"A wonder, isn't it? Don's one of our smartest men here. His inventions never fail." Don couldn't help but beam when he heard that from his colleague. He had worked himself into a company which specialized in technology. This was no longer the same world he had been born into. Technology was in and people were paying top notch to get the newest modern technology. Their job was to make that technology.

But Don didn't do it for the money.

No, he did it for his dream.

 _ **For the world we are gonna make...**_

Alright it is done! Whewwwwww, that was 4k+ words! Haha, I'm happy with it. Are you guys? Don't forget to review, it's writer's candy!

Also, hope it wasn't too corny ;)


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